


Revelations

by GenevieveRyan



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-01 17:01:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenevieveRyan/pseuds/GenevieveRyan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Just let it go where it's supposed to.<br/>Let your life hang out the window to dry.<br/>And if it catches the wind, and you never see it again,<br/>Then I guess it was probably time..."</p><p>- Butch Walker</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With many thanks to my invaluable beta. Most of the good ideas here are hers.

They were thirty thousand feet in the air, halfway between Salem and a business appointment in Maine, when Sonny realized something was wrong.

Will was wedged against the wall of the plane with his eyes closed and his glasses shoved crookedly into his hair. He appeared to be sleeping, but Sonny knew better. He could feel Will's pulse jumping around where their hands were joined over the arm rest.

"Babe," Sonny whispered. "You OK?"

"Fine," Will replied immediately. _So much for pretend napping._ "I'm just tired."

Sonny could hardly blame him. Life had been a flurry of activity since Will had returned from California. He'd had schoolwork and a week's worth of baby snuggles to catch up on, and though Sonny and Gabi had managed fairly well in Will's absence, the club could only run itself for so long. 

Sonny had spent the past four nights practically locked in his office, trying to convince the books to balance. He felt worn out and dull, and the last thing he wanted was to rock the boat with Will. Still, he couldn't ignore the subtle tension radiating from his sweet - and totally awake - boyfriend.

"You sure? You've been quiet all morning..."

"I'm sure," Will said. His eyes blinked open as he turned in his seat to kiss Sonny reassuringly on the cheek. "I'm glad I'm with you."

Sonny smiled. "That makes two of us."

It had been Justin's idea for Will to accompany Sonny to the meeting with the potential investors. With Chad gone indefinitely, ownership of TBD was in a state of flux. It was not the best position to be in for financial negotiations, and Justin had suggested that Will tag along in Chad's place as a sort of united front. After a moment's thought (and a hasty designation of Will as the club's new "technology consultant"), Sonny had agreed. He needed the moral support almost as much as they both needed some quality time alone together...

Sonny was shaken from the start of a good daydream by the pilot's voice on the intercom.

"Good afternoon, folks, this is Captain Lewis. We're about to begin our descent into Portland, where the temperature is a balmy 41 degrees." A laugh from the cabin. "Please watch your step as you exit the aircraft and as always, enjoy your stay in New England."

Reaching for his carry-on in the overhead compartment a few moments later, Will wondered if that was going to be possible.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time he was clawing at the king-sized mattress, breathless and coming into Sonny's gorgeous mouth, Will had forgotten all about his earlier mood.

It had taken forever to pick up the rental car and figure out how to get to the hotel. Waiting at the front desk as they finally checked in, Will was hungry and more than a bit crabby, but Sonny had shoved him onto the bed before the room door was even closed and suddenly he didn't care about anything except _those lips_ and _that heat_...

Now he was flat on his back, still half-dressed, panting and laughing as Sonny popped off with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"God, I needed that," Will said.

"I know," Sonny said. He crawled up Will's body and laid down next to him. "Feel better?"

"Yes," Will answered honestly. It was weird, but he did, and not just in the obvious physical way. Being with Sonny - being touched by Sonny - never failed to calm him emotionally, to center his thoughts and give rest to the concerns of the day. _I am so lucky to have him._

Will rolled over, intending to demonstrate his gratitude, but Sonny stopped him with gentle fingers on his chest.

"...you don't want to?" Will's voice was tinged with confusion.

"Oh, I want to," Sonny said with a sigh. "Believe me, I want to." He moved Will's hand to the front of his jeans to show him just how much.

"But if I don't get a shower in the next five minutes I think I'm going to scream. I didn't have the chance this morning with packing & everything and the airport always makes me feel gross."

Will's disappointment was fleeting. He had a couple of calls to make anyway, and he wanted Sonny refreshed for their evening out.

"OK," he said, nodding. "Go start the water running and I'll join you when I can feel my legs again."

Sonny chuckled softly as he headed for the bathroom.

~~~

Forty-five minutes and some frantic groping later, they were clean, dressed, and ready for a long-overdue date night. As they walked through the lobby, Will phoned Adrienne, who was keeping Arianna Grace.

"Everything is fine at home," he reported after a moment. "Your dad spent the whole day rolling around on the floor with the baby."

Sonny grinned. "Guess I'm a chip off the old block. A starving chip, by the way. Where do you want to eat?" He gestured at the stack of local pamphlets on a nearby table.

"Actually," Will said, "there's a fantastic French bistro not far from here. If we walk quickly, we can still make our reservation."

Surprise flickered across Sonny's face. "You made reservations? You little sneak. I love you."

"No, I love you," Will corrected with a smile. "I love you, and I thought you deserved a nice dinner for once. Now let's go before they give our table away."

Arm in arm, the two boys ventured out into the Maine darkness, neither of them fully aware of how their lives would shortly change forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Over salmon and risotto - and the best merlot they had ever tasted - Sonny and Will quietly discussed their plans for the next day.

"You really think we should lead with the photos? I don't want to seem too flashy. Maybe the numbers would be better, or the new marketing? Or the ---"

"Sonny," Will said. He reached for his partner's hand and patted it soothingly.

"Calm down, my love."

Sonny blew out a breath. His skin was almost bronze in the warmth of the candlelit room.

"I'm sorry," he sighed.

"I'm just nervous, I guess." A shrug - slight, but Will could see the tightness in Sonny's neck and arms. "I'm not used to it, and with everything that's happened lately I feel unprepared for this meeting."

Will nodded. "I understand. You and Chad have a lot at stake here, and with him unavailable for who knows how long, it all falls on your shoulders."

But Sonny was shaking his head.

"Forget Chad for a second. He'll come back or I'll buy him out, it doesn't matter. This is about you and me, and Ari. I want..."

He swallowed. 

"I've always wanted her to have the best life. To have love and stability, a nice home. Things our parents sometimes couldn't or wouldn't give us. And I'm afraid if I don't make an impression on these investors, I'll be letting Arianna down."

"You could never," Will said without hesitation. He leaned in to kiss away the shadow of doubt still lingering on Sonny's face. Their lips met softly, not for the first or hundredth time, and yet as their mouths moved slowly against each other, something crystallized in Will's brain.

A single thought, perfect and clear, so sudden and loud in his head he swore he could feel it rattle through his chest as they pulled apart.

"Thanks," Sonny said. "I lo --- Will? Are you feeling alright?"

"Hmmm?"

Sonny's concern grew. "I asked if you were feeling OK. Your breathing is funny and you're a little pale...

"Oh. Yeah, I'm - I just have a headache. Came out of nowhere," Will lied. He felt bad about misleading his boyfriend, but he could barely focus through the rush of emotion their kiss had triggered.

"Poor baby," Sonny murmured. He slid out of his seat and into Will's side of the booth, nestling their bodies cozily together. "You've really been run ragged lately. Want to get out of here?"

Will's eyes were sapphires and glass. _Yes, but not for the reason you think._

"Sure," he said. He fished a credit card out of his wallet, hoping Sonny wouldn't notice his shaking hand. "Can you please get our stuff while I pay the check?"

Sonny returned in a minute with an armful of coats, gloves, and scarves. Will gave him a weak smile and allowed himself to be bundled up. He felt a tad nauseated and fervently hoped that the fresh air on the walk back would help him say what he now knew he could no longer hide...


	4. Chapter 4

The streets of Portland were mostly deserted as they carefully made their way to the hotel. To Sonny's delight, a lazy snow had begun to fall while they'd been in the bistro. He had seen it do so before, of course, in Salem and other places he'd travelled, but the reality of a Dubai childhood meant he still got a thrill whenever the weather forecast displayed that sparkly little icon.

Sonny glanced at Will, who was lost in his own world behind the scarf he'd been "loaned" the year before - the fuzzy one, half as blue as the night sky. He watched, fascinated, as a particularly large snowflake landed on Will's cheek and melted down his jaw into the collar of his coat. _How beautiful_ , Sonny thought.

"I'm in love with you," Will said abruptly. He had stopped walking, forcing Sonny to turn around to see what had prompted this random, though welcome, declaration. The expression on Will's face scared him.

"Hon?" Sonny didn't know what else to say. Will was looking both at and through him, present and miles away simultaneously. "Either that's one hell of a headache or..."

"Or that didn't make sense," Will said. He shook himself, cleared his throat. "Sorry. I knew I should've waited to say something but then you were worrying about Ari and it was so perfect and real and I just _can't._ "

Sonny was perplexed. "Can't what? And why are we talking about this out here? If something is wrong, we could at least discuss it inside where it's warm."

"That's just it," Will replied, as if Sonny were following along. "Nothing is wrong. Well, one thing is, but that's what I'm trying to fix right now."

"Will, please," Sonny said. He could hear the edge of worry creeping into the confusion in his own voice. "Whatever is bothering you, I promise we'll work through it, but it's really cold," - he rubbed Will's shivering shoulders for emphasis - "and you're starting to freak me out."

Will only nodded and leaned into Sonny's touch, pressing their foreheads gently together in the icy air. Sonny thought maybe the strange moment would pass until he felt Will step back...step _down_ , all the way down onto one knee on the frigid sidewalk.

Sonny was astonished. He stared, open-mouthed, as Will finally began to speak.

"When I was little," he said unsteadily, "I had a weird concept of family. At school they would ask us to draw the people in our house, and I could never make mine match the other kids', so I would just have stick-figure Marlena, because even when she wasn't physically there, she was always in my head. She was where my brain went when things were crazy."

Will looked up, blinking against the drifting snow, for any kind of reaction. Seeing the puzzled encouragement in Sonny's eyes, he took a breath and continued.

"As I got older, and the stuff with my folks somehow worsened, I thought maybe if I pretended I was normal and life was fine, it would become the truth. So I threw myself into baseball, music, school, my siblings. I hid inside the busy schedule...the disconnect. Anything to avoid having real emotions, you know?"

Sonny did know. He didn't have to say so - Will could read it on his face, in the flush of pink on his cheekbones and nose. It said _I've been there_ and _it hurt_ and _I'm sorry._

"And then I met you," Will said simply. In his heart he knew he could stop there, that Sonny would understand, but by now the words were stronger than his resolve.

"I met you, and everything changed. _Everything_. The way I thought about myself, all the tension I had stacked up inside - it was like it disappeared when I was around you. Like you absorbed it, and I could...I could actually feel things and not be scared. For the first time ever I didn't want to spit at my reflection in the mirror."

Sonny cringed a little at the thought. "Will --- " he started.

"Shhhh, let me finish," Will replied. He shifted on the cold cement, swallowed hard and went on.

"At Berkeley, I spent literally all day writing about you and Arianna Grace. I missed you both so much I could hardly stand it. I was walking back to my hotel one night and I saw a jewelry store, and I guess it just hit me - that I? Am an absolute idiot. That despite the drama, the only problem with our relationship is how long it's taken me to offer you this..."

Sonny's expression morphed from curiosity to disbelief as Will pulled one gloved hand out of his pants pocket and turned it palm up. The ring caught the light from a nearby lamp post and glittered softly on its backdrop of black wool.

"It's not fancy," Will said with a touch of regret, "and I wasn't sure I would have the courage, but what you said at the restaurant...it reminded me of what an amazing gift your love is, and how stupid I would be to let another day go by without trying to hang onto that forever."

Sonny had begun to cry, though he was smiling, too. Will felt his own mouth stretching into a grin as he stammered out the question at last.

"I can't guarantee it'll be smooth sailing in the future...but I can promise you, Sonny, that I will love you until the day I die - " his voice broke - "and that I'll never ask for anything in return except the honor of being your husband."

For a second their gazes met and held in the blustery Maine darkness, two lovers on a street corner far from home, tender and electric and at a different sort of crossroads.

"So...Jackson Kiriakis, will you marry me?"


End file.
